Technology

Uber’s New Year’s Price Hike Upsets Clients

DENVER —Denver city officials are concerned about Uber because “passengers who ride Uber may be at risk of paying too much and riding with drivers who are not regulated in the same manner as taxi drivers,” according to NBC’s Denver affiliate, 9 News.

Tom Downey, director of Denver’s Department of Excise and Licenses, says the problem is that Uber is not licensed like a traditional cab company.

On New Year’s Day, Uber enacted what it calls “surge pricing,” which adds a multiplier to a regular fare during high-demand. One customer in Denver, Aric Goodman, requested an Uber ride from downtown Denver to the Denver Tech Center, which he has taken several times. He told 9 News that the trip costs on average between $47 and $55, but on New Year’s Day, the bill came back as $284.

However, the app had a disclaimer on New Year’s, and Goodman accepted the higher fare.